Chapter 2 Part 2

“Haah! Snake, stop…Haaa!”

Thwack! Thwack! The slapping sound of the wet flesh was as loud as a hand striking it. The snake buried its tongue deep within and flicked it, licking and devouring her insides. The rough tongue caught and pulled the protruding red flesh of her vulva.

Her nipples hardened and swayed in the cool air. A jet-black tail coiled around the tip of her wet, glistening nipple.

“Not there! My nipples will fall off!”

Slurp. The red, flower-like flesh turned bruised red and then disappeared beneath the black scales.

“S-Snake…Please, haah!“

The snake forcefully rubbed against On-ah’s vulva and thrust its tongue inside her. With her buttocks exposed, On-ah was pierced by the probing tongue.

She felt like a female dog whimpering beneath a copulating male dog. She wanted to close her eyes in shame and embarrassment, but her body wouldn’t obey. As the snake thrashed inside her, all her orifices opened involuntarily.

The snake whipped its tongue inside On-ah’s vulva like a lash. Her insides trembled and her skin burned. Every hair on her body stood on end, and tension filled her from head to toe. Her five white toes wriggled like a fan dance. They curled tightly until the soles of her feet turned red. Then, they twitched and trembled before losing strength and relaxing.

Her bright, jewel-like eyes rolled upward. Tears welled up and spilled over, mixing with her saliva. The liquid that had soaked her face pooled on her chin and dripped down onto the snake’s scales.

“Haa… Haa!“

Tears streamed down her face as she reached an overwhelming climax. The snake diligently licked her swollen insides. After greedily sucking up every drop, it released her body. Her hands and feet, which had been bound tightly in the air, fell to the floor.

The snake gently caught her slender body with the bridge of its snout and slowly lowered her onto its coils. As On-ah collapsed, exhausted and unable to move, the snake fixed its black eyes on her face. Its piercing gaze seemed momentarily menacing. But the snake moved gently.

It licked On-ah meticulously. With the tip of its relatively small tongue, it licked her swollen nipples and gently stroked her opened vulva. Its tongue touched her tear-stained eyes and the lips she had bitten countless times. The snake treated On-ah carefully, as if licking her wounds. When it nuzzled its large head against her chest, its fierce eyes seemed almost cute.

On-ah was confused about how to perceive this snake. At first, it was clearly a predator. It invaded her dreams without permission, abducted her, and took her away. But things were becoming increasingly ambiguous. The snake was violent yet considerate. It didn’t inflict severe pain, only sweet pleasure.

On-ah was bewildered. From the perspective of a beast, wasn’t the snake trying its best?

She shook her head vehemently, denying the thought. It was a crazy idea. How could she, a human, possibly understand a snake from a beast’s perspective? It was pathetic, like prey worrying about a predator. Especially when the snake had fangs that could kill her at any moment.

‘I can’t be entranced any further.’

It was all because of this snake. It was acting strangely for a beast and confusing her. It should be cruel and savage. A hideous monster.

“I told you not to lick it!”

On-ah glared resentfully at the snake licking her belly and pushed its head away. Her hand, pressed against the snake’s forehead, seemed insignificantly small. It was the size of a single black scale on the snake. Still, the snake flinched and retreated.

“I hate it. I hate it…”

Some days she cursed it; other days, she resented it. She asked the snake why it was tormenting her in her dreams, but it never answered. It was only natural. No snake could speak the human language.

“Get lost! You monster!”

Whether she resented or cursed it, the snake wouldn’t understand.

If it were just a dream, she could easily forget about it, but it always left its mark. Despite accommodating such a large object, she felt no abdominal pain or discomfort. However, her nipples, gnawed by the snake’s tail, were constantly sore and swollen. Her hands and feet, which had been wrapped by the tail or tongue, also bore dark marks.

“If it’s a nightmare, at least let me wake up! Why is it so long today? I really need to perform an exorcism.”

It wasn’t a dream—or at least, not entirely. The snake’s obsession with her, which prevented her from forgetting it, was terrifying. What kind of bizarre monster was tormenting her like this?

Looking into the snake’s dark, captivating eyes, On-ah found herself whispering, “If only you were human…”

No. What am I  thinking?

She shook her head violently to dispel the thought. Her face turned white at the forbidden thought. As if concerned by her pale face, the snake pushed its head toward her.

But at that moment, its body disintegrated and scattered. It transformed into a shimmering black galaxy and disappeared. To On-ah, the snake was just a dream, a momentary diversion.

***

“Ugh…”

Waking from the dream, On-ah pulled aside her clothes and looked down at her chest. Her nipples, bruised by the snake’s tail, were swollen and rubbed painfully against the rough hemp fabric. She bit her lip as she dabbed her swollen nipples with a soft, wet handkerchief. She felt miserable and scared. Of herself changing. Of the gentle monster.

“No, I have to get a grip. Don’t be fooled.”

On-ah admitted it. She was lonely, and the pleasure the snake gave her was sweet. She wanted to forget everything and surrender to it. If the snake were human, she might have considered him a lover. The dream she had been having for over a month was that potent.

Even though it was a dream, that moment’s heat was as real as reality. The memory of it remained etched in her mind as vividly as the lingering marks on her body.

Her body was mottled red with the snake’s marks—too shameful to show anyone. Since the dreams began, she had refused Byeori’s help, changing her clothes alone. She knew the marks were evidence of sexual activity. If others saw them, they might call her lewd.

Ji On-ah. The eldest daughter of Ho-an Ji Eun-baek had a responsibility to protect the southern Ji clan in her deceased father’s stead. Even if she couldn’t continue the family line due to various circumstances, she had to maintain the family’s reputation for integrity.

“Byeori!”

On-ah clenched her fists and called to Byeori.

“Yes!”

Byeori, who had been sweeping the front yard, wiped her dusty hands on her skirt and entered the room. Seeing On-ah huddled with disheveled hair, Byeori rushed to her side and began fussing over her.

“Why are you sitting like that, my lady? What happened? Did you have a nightmare?”

“I had a strange dream. I need to have it interpreted.”

“What kind of dream?”

On-ah’s lips were sealed tight. She had decided to stop seeing the snake, but she hesitated to tell anyone about the dream.

“It seems like it’s not a trivial matter. It would be better to find a skilled shaman and tell them privately.”

“I heard there’s a shaman who’s good at fortune-telling inside Kang’s butcher shop down the alley. Should we go there?”

“Yes, that would be good.”

“But are you going to such a rough place yourself, my lady?”

“It’s not like I can’t go.”

“Still, if you tell me a little about it, I can quickly go find out.”

Unable to explain why she couldn’t tell Byeori, On-ah looked away. Sighing slightly at On-ah’s stubbornness, Byeori brought a comb. Her hands moved deftly as she carefully gathered and arranged On-ah’s black tresses.

‘What kind of dream did she have?’

Byeori had taken care of On-ah ever since Ji Eun-baek, On-ah’s father, had saved her. Despite having taken care of her since she was young, it was difficult to read her young mistress’s mind. On-ah was softhearted, but she often shielded herself with a tough exterior. Byeori felt sympathy for On-ah, who had grown up quickly after losing her parents and being left alone. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Byeori glanced at On-ah, who sat with an expressionless face. Byeori chose a topic to talk about.

“Oh, did you hear that story?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Boy King has taken in a snake this time.”

On-ah’s brow furrowed slightly.  It was due to the inappropriate title used to address the Emperor and the unexpected word ‘snake’.

“His Majesty the Emperor has taken in a snake?”

On-ah corrected her deliberately, but Byeori didn’t take it seriously. Everyone in the marketplace referred to the Emperor as the Boy King.

The Emperor turned twenty-two this year. Two years had passed since he came of age, yet he was still considered a boy king. He had ascended the throne at seven years old, which was also the age at which he had stopped growing. He was a puppet emperor who had never matured.

Some called him that out of disdain; others, out of pity. People referred to him as the boy king. Everyone except Ji Eun-baek, On-ah’s father.

“It seems he’s taken up another strange hobby. I heard he ordered them to collect strange snakes from all over the country. They say there’s even a man-eating python as big as a house among them!”